Hungry Ojos said:

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FireAg said:

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How does a guilty verdict actually help the D's at this point?

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There is polling that says many a vote would change if he is convicted.

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And there is polling he will benefit from a conviction. Especially among younger black male voters.

I am not sure how much this helps the defense or not. One one hand, the jury could see this is as the prosecution trying to keep information from them (because of all the objections). On the other hand, the jury could see this witness as being too "pro-Trump" thus making his testimony less believable.

What a terrible witness, Is this the best they could come up with?

What a **** show…

Merchan has ****ing flipped his lid.

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Defense attorney Emil Bove has resumed his questioning of Robert Costello.
There was no discussion of what just transpired.
Meanwhile, Bove has brought up an email between Michael Cohen and Costello.

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what happened???

[In a half-emptied courtroom, Costello remains on the stand. Now filling up again.]

Justice Merchan: Let's get the jury back, please.
Trump's lawyer Bove: Bring up Defense 1008. You wrote, I will not pester you. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me or Jeff. And the chart-
Costello: Michael Cohen called me. 96 minutes.

aggiehawg said:

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There is a burst of yelling by security officers in the courtroom and they're telling the media to leave after the judge said, "Clear the courtroom."
Court security just said, "Nobody can come back in."
Shortly afterward, the media was allowed to return to their seats in the courtroom.

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Judge Juan Merchan has said to get the jury.

Most of Trump's entourage got to stay in the room while the press was taken out.

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This judge is off his meds.

Were the press in the overflow room also tossed out, I wonder?

Michael Cohen has "earned about $4 million from his books and podcasts since the fall of 2020."

As so many people prove, the easiest way to save your career and/or become very rich in media is to single-mindedly bash Trump:https://t.co/fScSfALxl6

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 20, 2024

BlackLab said:

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A fair and impartial jury can see when a judge is tipping their hand on the scales and giving preference to one side.

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So this jury has no clue.

aggiehawg said:

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Were the press in the overflow room also tossed out, I wonder?

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They said the cameras were turned off, so I assume it wasn't necessary to clear out the overflow room.

No he cleared the court room

AustinAg2K said:

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I am not sure how much this helps the defense or not. One one hand, the jury could see this is as the prosecution trying to keep information from them (because of all the objections). On the other hand, the jury could see this witness as being too "pro-Trump" thus making his testimony less believable.

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Well, if the judge would let the witness talk, they will see he is not "pro-Trump" by his statement to Cohen that if he has anything truthful on Trump, he can have his legal problems disappear in a week. That is not a pro-Trump person who would say that.

You gotta think at this point the theatrics of how the judge is treating the defense and this witness has to have some effect on the jurors. Surly there is someone on that jury with the moral fortitude to say "this is not right" and stick with it.

Ah, Thanks!

Trump's lawyer Bove: And this call, 46 minutes... Did Michael Cohen ask you to call Rudy Giuliani?
Costello: Yes.
Bove: Now June 13, 2018 email...
Costello: Mr. Cohen was complaining about Rudy Giuliani. I told Mr. Cohen I would pass on any complaint to Rudy.

Trump's lawyer Bove: Whose interest did you have in mind?
Costello: Michael Cohen's.
Bove: Did he refuse to pay you?
Costello: He did. We didn't sue. It wasn't enough money.
Bove: Have you appeared in media about this case?
Costello: Yes. And House last week

Trump's lawyer Bove: Whose interest did you have in mind?
Costello: Michael Cohen's.
Bove: Did he refuse to pay you?
Costello: He did. We didn't sue. It wasn't enough money.
Bove: Have you appeared in media about this case?
Costello: Yes. And House last week

Trump's lawyer Bove: No further questions.
Prosecutor Hoffinger: Didn't Mr. Cintron ask Mr. Cohen to meet with you?
Costello: Email speaks for itself.
Hoffinger: Didn't Cintron say he represented Leona Helmsley and George Steinbrenner?
Costello: Speaks for itself

What does it say about the efforts of the judge to hide the truth when everyone who cares about this case heard every word Costello was able to say under oath last week before the U.S. House committee but gets cut off every time he is asked or attempts to answer a question?

Foreverconservative said:

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Trump's lawyer Bove: No further questions.
Prosecutor Hoffinger: Didn't Mr. Cintron ask Mr. Cohen to meet with you?
Costello: Email speaks for itself.
Hoffinger: Didn't Cintron say he represented Leona Helmsley and George Steinbrenner?
Costello: Speaks for itself

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Ok legal eagles...help me out here on this exchange.

Costello: I didn't know Michael Cohen from a whole in the wall. Jeff Cintron is a real estate lawyer.
Prosecutor Hoffinger: You knew Mr. Cohen was personal attorney to the President, it would be a high profile case, connecting you to the President?
Costello: no

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Trump attorney Emil Bove, who asks Robert Costello to keep his answers narrow, questions him about a lengthy phone call with Michael Cohen over Memorial Day weekend in 2018.
He asks Costello if he gave legal advice on the 96-minute call, without getting into details.
"Yes," Costello says.

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Trump attorney Emil Bove asked Robert Costello if he considered Michael Cohen his client.
"Absolutely. I had to treat him that way.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is asking about the initial contact with Michael Cohen and if Robert Costello's partner reached out to Cohen.

Costello responds twice, "The email speaks for itself."

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Trump attorney Emil Bove showed the jury an email from June 7, 2019=8, and phone records. The call lasted 46 minutes.
The email from Costello says that "after you called me back ... I left a message for Rudy."
Costello testified after reading the email that Cohen directed him to call Giuliani on his behalf.
"Mr Cohen was making constant complaints about Rudy Giuiani and what he was saying to the press," Costello said.
As he began to say Cohen was also complaining about his lawyers not being paid by Trump at this point in 2018, Judge Juan Merchan sustained an objection from Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger. Merchan then cautioned Costello again to answer only the question he's asked.
"Again, please just answer the question," Merchan said.

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"Did you ever put any pressure on Michael Cohen to do anything?" Bove asked.
"No," Costello said.
"Did you ever pressure him to interact with Rudy Giuliani in a certain way?" Bove asked.
"No," Costello said

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The latter was before defense passed the witness. CNN keeps changing their timeline.

ETA: By inserting additional details in earlier posts.

Merchan's going to keep those poor ****ers on the jury deliberating until Labor Day if they don't reach his pre-approved verdict... can he force Trump to show up to court every day while that process is happening?

LOL.

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Bob Costello engaging in behavior that caused Judge Juan Merchan to clear the courtroom is "shocking," CNN chief legal correspondent Paula Reid said.
"The fact that Costello would conduct himself in a trial like this, potentially jeopardizing a case like this, I am actually surprised, but it validates the concerns that have been expressed by members of Trump's defense teams" about why they didn't want to call Costello to the stand, she explained.

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"This is unbelievable that he would engage in this kind of conduct" to have the entire courtroom be cleared, Reid added.

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Reid also noted that his behavior undermines everything the defense has tried to do for their client for the past week or so. and it's unclear what kind of impact this is going to have on the case.
Reid also said that she personally has "dealt with (Costello) for a decade" and she is "pretty shocked" that he behaving this way on the stand. Despite having animus toward Michael Cohen and ill will toward judge, "the fact that he would engage in this kind of behavior in a criminal courtroom, in a historic case of this nature is truly shocking."

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Not to anyone that has been paying attention for the last week when he testified before Congress.

Also, if the gag order is to prevent Trump from influencing witnesses, and the last witness testifies today, is he then free to go off on this bull**** process and the corrupt DA and the partisan hack judge running things?

Reality Check said:

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Merchan's going to keep those poor ****ers on the jury deliberating until Labor Day if they don't reach his pre-approved verdict... can he force Trump to show up to court every day while that process is happening?

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No but he can require him to stay within an hour or so from the courthouse while the jury is deliberating.

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Merchan then cautioned Costello again to answer only the question he's asked.

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LOL. He allowed Stormy and the prosecution to ramble on about insinuated rape and sexual assault yet can't give this guy the latitude to add some relevant color to his answers that are germane to the defendant.

The fix is and has been in.

Trump will get convicted. Don't hold your breath thinking he won't.

Prosecutor Hoffinger: Wouldn't you put it up on your firm's website? Look at this.
Costello: From me to my son, April 20, 2018. Michael Cohen wrote to me... My son said "Congrats Dad." This is his response.... Mr. Cohen asked us to go to the Regency

aggiehawg said:

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LOL.

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Bob Costello engaging in behavior that caused Judge Juan Merchan to clear the courtroom is "shocking," CNN chief legal correspondent Paula Reid said.
"The fact that Costello would conduct himself in a trial like this, potentially jeopardizing a case like this, I am actually surprised, but it validates the concerns that have been expressed by members of Trump's defense teams" about why they didn't want to call Costello to the stand, she explained.

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"This is unbelievable that he would engage in this kind of conduct" to have the entire courtroom be cleared, Reid added.

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Reid also noted that his behavior undermines everything the defense has tried to do for their client for the past week or so. and it's unclear what kind of impact this is going to have on the case.
Reid also said that she personally has "dealt with (Costello) for a decade" and she is "pretty shocked" that he behaving this way on the stand. Despite having animus toward Michael Cohen and ill will toward judge, "the fact that he would engage in this kind of behavior in a criminal courtroom, in a historic case of this nature is truly shocking."

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Not to anyone that has been paying attention for the last week when he testified before Congress.

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And the fact that he knows these sustained objections that are essentially putting a gag in his mouth are a complete farce.

Reality Check said:

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What does it say about the efforts of the judge to hide the truth when everyone who cares about this case heard every word Costello was able to say under oath last week before the U.S. House committee but gets cut off every time he is asked or attempts to answer a question?

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Because courts have rules on what can be allowed in as evidence, whereas congressional hearings are made so the members on the committee can have their made-for-tv moments.

Prosecutor Hoffinger: He had been raided --
Costello: I wouldn't say raided, they executed a search warrant. He was suicidal and acting manic.
Hoffinger: You can understand-
Costello: Talk into the microphone please... He was putting on quite a show